Nagad and Prothoma Prokashan Launch Two Day Book Fair in Dhaka
Photo Collected
A two-day book fair, titled Nagad-e Prothoma Boibandhon, commenced on Monday at the Nagad corporate office in Banani, Dhaka. Sajjad Sharif, Executive Editor of Prothom Alo, inaugurated the event, which is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday.
The fair offers Nagad employees a 25 percent discount on all books published by Prothoma Prokashan, alongside a 5 percent discount on foreign publications. To encourage readership, the organizers announced that the three employees who purchase the highest number of books during the event will receive special awards.
Speaking at the inauguration, Sajjad Sharif expressed concern over Bangladesh’s low ranking in global readership surveys. He contrasted the local trend with technologically advanced nations such as the United States, France, Germany, South Korea, Japan, and India, where reading habits remain robust, particularly among those under 35. Sharif lamented that in the Bangladeshi professional landscape, personal connections and influence are often prioritized over merit and knowledge.
Reflecting on his own life, Sharif credited his formative years of reading—citing works ranging from traditional Bengali folklore to the literature of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay—for his personal development. He emphasized that books serve as a conduit for the accumulated wisdom of human history, connecting contemporary readers to the thoughts of visionaries like Socrates, Newton, Einstein, and Rabindranath Tagore. He urged for a renewed movement of gifting books, noting that reading allows individuals to transcend their own limited perspectives and engage with the imagination of others.
Sharif further proposed that corporate institutions establish small book corners, suggesting that even a collection of 10 to 20 books could significantly impact employees’ critical thinking.
Nagad Administrator Md. Motasim Billah addressed the challenges posed by the digital age, observing that the current generation often favors short-form digital content over literature. He encouraged a return to reading habits to replace excessive time spent on social media platforms. Highlighting this as the second collaboration between Nagad and Prothoma Prokashan, Billah expressed interest in institutionalizing regular book-related events and exploring the possibility of joint book publications in the future.
Syed Himiyanuddin Ahmed, Senior Associate Administrator at Nagad, shared personal anecdotes about how his school-level involvement with the Jatiya Grantha Kendra and Bishwa Sahitya Kendra fostered a lifelong passion for literature. He encouraged colleagues to embrace reading as a means of discovery and to share their literary experiences with one another. The event concluded with Nagad staff members browsing and purchasing books from the display.
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